Tradition and Revision. The textual tradition of Hincmar of Reims' Visio Bernoldi. With a new critical edition

Abstract

The Visio Bernoldi is part of a group of so-called, “political visions” from the Carolingian period. It reports the journey to the other world, during a near fatal illness, of a certain Bernold. Various people – among them Charles the Bald – all suffering for their sins, begged Bernold that on his return to the mortal world he ask their dependents and friends for prayers, alms and masses. Circulated and commented by Hincmar of Reims, the text conspiculously serves the archbishop's interests. This article considers the complex textual tradition of this short but fascinating text, and offers its first critical edition. The Visio Bernoldi circulated in three versions, called here A, B and C. C is an abridged, partial paraphrase integrated into Flodoard's History of the Church of Reims (953). Flodoard used the Visio Bernoldi as a historical document to provide a divine justification for the political fate of Ebo and Hincmar of Reims, and of Charles the Bald. Version A, as argued here, is closest to the original letter, while B (only partially extant) can be understood as a conscious revision to improve the rustic and cumbersome Latin of the original text. The article also proposes an in-debth study of the extant and lost manuscripts (Paris, BNF, lat. 5327, Brussels, Bibliotheque Royale 4087-4100, Paris, BNF, nouv. acq. lat. 469, Paris, BNF, fr. 17698I, Bibliotheque d'Herivaux (lost), Bibliotheque de Saint-Benigne de Dijon (lost)).